Efforts to prevent collegiate alcohol abuse in San Diego were strengthened this summer with help from the Community-Collegiate Alcohol Prevention Partnership.

C-CAPP is a coalition of local universities, law enforcement agencies and community organizations whose goal is to reduce alcohol-related incidents.

It reported success and planned future goals during its quarterly meeting Friday.

“”Our campuses may be different but we all have the same problem,”” said Marian Novak, C-CAPP’s project coordinator.

Police have recently increased their alcohol enforcement in the college and beach areas, according to Lieutenant Michael Cash of the San Diego police. The result has been fewer reported physical and sexual assaults, as well as less public drunkenness in the area.

“”Residents have been happy — even the students — which I was real surprised [about],”” Cash said. “”They felt safer. It has been a huge success as far as keeping people safe.””

Responding to unlawful parties in college areas is one of C-CAPP’s main functions. In the past year, there were over 1,300 responses to parties in the beach area. Of those, 45 houses were “”capped,”” meaning that if the police responded to an address more than once a year, the owner was cited and fined.

Noise complaints trigger a response by the C-CAPP team, which often uses undercover partygoers to detect underage drinkers, kegs and drugs.

Doug Miller of the SDSU police reported excellent progress in efforts of keeping alcohol out of the hands of minors, but he added that it takes six to seven years to measure the program’s true effectiveness.

“”If you raise the perception of the risk, the risk-taking goes down,”” Miller said. “”We are doing all kinds of things that universities and police don’t normally do. It is true community policing.””

Policing is just one aspect of the integrated C-CAPP approach. Working with community organizations is integral.

“”Law enforcement cannot arrest our way out of these problems,”” said Richard McGaffigan of the Institute for Public Strategies. “”It is a community program, not a law enforcement program.””

C-CAPP is credited with helping to curb drunken driving in the beach area by adding taxi stands there. Designated driving programs are also planned.

“”It is just another way to attack the problem of alcohol,”” said Ray Gross of the newly founded Designated Drivers Association of San Diego. “”There are a lot of accidents . . . involving drinking and drugs.””

Gross’ nonprofit organization provides designated drivers to popular bars such as Martini Ranch, Pacific Beach Bar and Grill and the Bitter End to get drunken patrons and their cars home safely.

Administrators of local colleges play a critical role in the program. It is ultimately their responsibility to inform students about the dangers of alcohol and drugs and the services available.

All local colleges are involved in the effort. California State University San Marcos is appealing the liquor license awarded to the Ralphs supermarket across from future dorms.

Nancy White and Shannon Chamberlin, both of the Student Safety Awareness Program, represented UCSD at the meeting. According to Chamberlin, anti-drinking programs are not the focus of the SSAP. Rather, it works with Psychological Services and Student Health Services to prevent physical and sexual violence committed by UCSD students.

Chamberlin added that most of UCSD’s alcohol education programs are geared toward freshmen, so programs like C-CAPP are integral in educating college students once they turn 21 and make the transition from the apartment party culture to a more bar-oriented culture.

“”It’s a really great way to share ideas and stay involved with what is going on in the community,”” Chamberlin said.